


Headphones

by GroovynSpoiled (UltimateWriterCharlie)



Series: Eyes Full Of Stars [2]
Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Blind Brian May, Blind Character, Comfort/Angst, Disabled Character, Light Angst, M/M, Prompt Fill, Sensory Overload, Thunderstorms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:28:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21867511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UltimateWriterCharlie/pseuds/GroovynSpoiled
Summary: During a thunderstorm, Brian cannot find his noise-cancelling headphones.
Relationships: Brian May/Roger Taylor, John Deacon/Freddie Mercury
Series: Eyes Full Of Stars [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1523957
Comments: 7
Kudos: 49
Collections: Maylor Week





	Headphones

**Author's Note:**

> hi this is set way before brian's surgery if youve read my story eyes full of stars where brian is blind. pac-man is his service dog if you havent read the fic, which i suggest you do uwu  
> also tysm to my boyfriend nic for helping me with the plot for this when i needed help <3

The sky rumbled and hissed with oncoming thunder heading west. The clouds were dark grey, nearly becoming black, and the home had an energy of dullness and lacklustre.

Roger and Brian were sat in front of the television, Brian on the left side and Roger on the right. Neither spoke as the television rattled on about the weather but neither were paying much attention. Roger was buried in his phone and Brian was simply upset and not in the mood to talk.

Earlier in the day, not hours before they'd sat down, a small argument had ruined their day involving the dependance Brian had for Roger. Being blind was never a cakewalk, they both knew, but some things that Brian did simply needed assistance.

This was a truth that wasn't easily swallowed. 

Brian had taken the side that he could do anything Roger could without help but they both knew that it wasn't true, no matter how much Brian wanted to believe it. Perhaps their strong personalities and opinions clashed because they both had said things they didn't mean and didn't need to say as forcefully as they did. 

Now the air in the room was less than pleasant, and all Brian wanted to do was forget that they'd ever fought about something to trivial.

"I think I'm gonna take a nap," Brian suddenly said which got the attention of his lover. "I'm getting tired."

Roger put his phone down and took Brian's hand, laying a kiss on it. "Okay, my love."

Brian knew he felt bad for what he'd said. He felt bad too, but right now he needed time to rest. When he went into his bedroom he shared with Roger, he almost called out to his boyfriend to ask him to come and take a nap with him, but he decided against it for no other reason other than he just needed to be alone at the moment.

His nap was short-lived, and unfortunately, the thing that woke him up was less than pleasant.

Expecting Roger to get him or his dog to jump on his chest, he was instead jolted awake by a lightning strike that forced him out of his peaceful sleep and into a fear-inducing consciousness when another bolt struck that made him gasp.

He should have paid more attention when they were watching the news earlier on the sofa. Getting out of bed, Brian stepped over the dog resting by the bed and went to his nightstand by the bathroom door out of instinct from this situation happening many times before. Another bolt of lightning made him feel like a fool for not listening to the weather station. He would have had time to prepare for the storm and the fear that came with it, to set out his noise-cancelling headphones, just to avoid his anxiety of the booming sounds that sounded like they were surrounding him at every turn.

Brian knew the weather couldn't possibly hurt him, but he always found himself shaking when he heard the familiar boom of incoming thunder and storms heading his way. Living in England, he should have been used to the sour weather by now, but he wasn't. It was always panic-inducing.

It had begun when he was a kid and first lost his sight completely that it really began to freighten him. He had never had proper eyesight in the first place, but at least he could sort of see the light and strikes across the sky. Now he was left in the dark about what was happening around him. Most loud sounds frightened him but thunderstorms were something that truly got to him, and the only thing that could help was to wait it out with his noise-cancelling headphones and a nap so he wouldn’t get any more upset with two of his most important senses blocked.

Pac-Man picked up on his energy and met his calves where he sat patiently, staring up at his owner who was wiping his hands above the top of the dresser for his headphones. They were chunky and noisy when you pulled them over your head, so it was obvious when he found them. He couldn't mistake them for anything else.

But, to his frustration, they weren't where he'd last put them.

 _Don't panic,_ Brian told himself with a hand running over his forehead. _Just check the drawers_.

The drawers had clothes, toys, and other objects inside but none of the drawers contained the headphones he was looking for. Dread settled inside of him despite telling himself not to overreact, and the dog near his leg began to tug on his pants in an attempt to get him to sit down and take a breath.

"Stop it," Brian warned the canine in a low voice. He went to Roger's bedside table and felt inside but, again, found nothing. He sighed wearily and returned his hand to his forehead with a wince soaked in worry. "Fucking- _fuck_."

Another strike of lightning shook their windows and Brian involuntarily recoiled fiercely. He could hear the TV still playing outside of the bedroom where the living room was but he knew if he asked Roger it would only bring back the fact that he was dependant on him to a fault. If thunderstorms brought him to his knees, how would he argue that he could ever live alone?

Pac-Man continued to tug on his pyjama pants. In irritation and anxiety, Brian pushed the dog away from him with his leg and grabbed his collar, shoving him out of the bedroom with a string of fierce curses so he would leave him alone.

"Jesus," Brian whispered under his breath when the door was shut. He had checked everywhere. He needed to check again. 

This time he took the clothes and items out of the drawers and put them on top of the dresser so he could make sure he looked through them. He checked twice, and three times, but nothing came up. He felt like he was going insane and he certainly would if he couldn't find his headphones.

With a whimper, he sat on the bed. The sky rumbled and he covered his ears and clenched his teeth until he felt like he was going to break the enamel. A house-rumbling bolt hit the ground and Brian felt like his head would split if he put any more pressure on his ears to avoid the sounds.

Something rubbed his thigh, and he jumped with a cry out. Roger pulled on his wrists gently and soon the pain pounding through his skull ceased when he hesitantly allowed Roger to take his hands.

"Baby," Roger whispered. Brian didn't know he'd been crying until his boyfriend ran his thumb over his cheek and it spread the tear across his face. "I heard Pax freaking out and practically clawing the door down and I got even more worried when I heard you crying. What's going on?"

Brian shook his head and tightened his fists. "I can't find my bloody headphones," He whined. "And the fucking- the fucking sound!" He attempted to tug his wrists back up to his ears when he heard a rumble but Roger held his wrists in a lock.

Roger sighed in relief when Brian was secured. His first thought was that Brian was having a seizure, or was going to, or terrifyingly already had when he wasn't in the room.

To know he hadn't and that it was only the storm that had startled him was more than relieving. He wouldn't know what to do with himself if Brian had a seizure when he wasn't there to help him take the precautions that could save his life.

With a heavy weight off of his chest, Roger said; "Brian, my love, your headphones are in the drawer-"

"Don't you think I checked the goddamn drawer?"

"Hey," Roger had a concerned expression on his face that Brian would practically feel. "I know you probably did, but they're in a box with my guitar picks."

Brian hadn't checked there. He didn't think they would be there. Why would they be in the box where Roger kept his guitar picks? He felt like a moron, but Roger made it slightly better when he kissed his hand again.

"I'll get them," Roger tapped on his thigh and retrieved the box. He soon sat next to his boyfriend and gently put the headphones over his head. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off of his shoulders when the calm silence enclosed him.

With instant relief, Brian sighed. Every one of his senses was overwhelmed moments ago but now it was back to his cooling comfort with his boyfriend holding his hand and stroking his thumb over the top of his bones and veins.

"Thank you," Brian told Roger, nodding to show his approval. He didn't hear himself and Roger didn't respond knowing that he wouldn't be heard. 

Roger stood and guided Brian by the hands, though this time he actually held his hands and not his wrists since he wasn't attempting to box his own ears from being over-stimulated by the sounds. The living room was warmer and had their pillows and blankets on the sofa so Brian was sat on the couch and soon had a cup of tea sitting in his lap to soothe him. Even better, Roger took his side and curled around him with his head resting on his shoulder just below where the headphone ear-cover ended.

"I love you," Brian whispered when his heart rate was steady again. He turned his head in the direction of his boyfriend and kissed the top of his head. "Sorry, uh, about earlier."

Roger picked up the ear-phone facing him and tucked a finger under Brian's chin lovingly. "I'm sorry too, and you know I love you more than anything. Now go back to being Helen Keller before the storm decides to drop a big one again."

Brian couldn't help but smile. "She was a genius, I'll have you know."

They kissed again before Roger put the headphone back over his ear and settled in. 


End file.
